Dodging the cowboys: Five ways to spot and avoid a builder or tradesman disaster
Gabrielle Monaghan
Ghosting long a phenomenon in the world of dating apps is now rife in home-improvement.
There’s the contractor or tradesperson who promises the world and then ignores all calls or WhatsApp messages or even disappears after taking a deposit or mid-project.
Unlike getting ghosted by someone you connected with on a dating app, having a tradesperson or builder vanish can cause significant financial losses, especially if they demanded payment upfront and then produced shoddy work or left a job unfinished.
Unaffordable property prices and a chronic shortage of housing stock is preventing people from buying a more suitable home, says economist Austin Hughes
Homeowners who’ve had issues with builders or home improvements are spending an average of € 14,597 on the work, according to a report last month by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC).
These issues were the number one reason for the consumer watchdog referring people to the small claims procedure in 2025 and were the second-most common reason consumers contacted the CCPC.
By November, complaints about the sector were so rampant that the CCPC published an open letter to traders and directly contacted 3 ,000 of them to remind them of their obligations under consumer protection law.
One of the main drivers of an increase in complaints is the huge mismatch between demand from homeowners and the supply of workers, says Pat Doyle, managing director of the National Guild of Master Craftsmen (NGMC).
Almost a quarter of a million homeowners are spending money on home improvements, mostly because unaffordable property prices and a chronic shortage of housing stock is preventing them from buying a more suitable home, economist Austin Hughes estimated last month after compiling a report for the Credit Union Consumer Sentiment Survey.
If you want something done, your builder might tell you he won’t be available till next year Doyle says:
“Reputable builders are up to their eyes in work. If you wanted anything done, from small works to an extension or renovation, your builder might tell you he won’t be available till next year. Therefore, you have opportunists out there.”
Cowboy builders don’t wear chaps and carry lassos and guns, so how can you identify them? Here are five ways to spot and avoid them.
Do your homework
Homeowners scouting for a contractor or tradesperson rely too much on flashy Instagram videos and images of home improvement work, says surveyor Shay Lally from Houses to Restore.
Doyle agrees. He says: “People are putting too much faith in online and social media reviews.
“A man rang me a few months ago and he’d given someone €15,000 to do work on this house and now his roof is leaking. I asked, ‘where did you get him?’ And he said, ‘I got him from his Facebook page”
If you want to avoid being taken advantage of, go back to basics and do your due diligence the old-fashioned way.
Ask family, neighbours and friends for recommendations and go inspect the work in person.
And any bona-fide builder or tradesperson won ‘t mind if you ask to see work they’ve carried out on other customers homes.
Make sure your tradesperson is with the National Guild of Master Craftsmen (NGMC).
Go to your local builders’ provider and ask them for the three best people they know – if they’ve been solid and have paid that merchant on time, they should be trustworthy.
Seek three quotes
Because the industry is so busy, it’s tempting to go with the first contractor or tradesperson who WhatsApp you a rough estimate of what the work will cost.
But if it’s a decent-sized job, make sure you get a written quote with a detailed breakdown of costs.
Lally says: “If they send you something very vague, like ‘€10,000 for a bathroom upgrade plus VAT†and they’re not providing a breakdown, then you have a problem because you don’t know what you’re paying for.
“Also ask what’s excluded from the quote a lot of people don’t realise, for instance, that a quote might exclude waste removal and that you’ll have to hire a skip.”
Builders and tradespeople are in such short supply hat it can take a while to get quotes
A major faux pas homeowners make is failing to get three written quotes to ensure they’re getting the best value for money.
But you’ll have to be patient — builders and tradespeople are in such short supply that it can take a while to get quotes, and more of them are charging potential customers to do so.
Sign a contract
When you settle on the right trader, you should receive a contract that will outline the scope and timeline of the work, a payment schedule, and any other critical details.
This can be a big help against any potential disputes, the CCPC says.
Doyle says: “You can download a standard three-page contract from our website.”
Never pay upfront
Alarm bells would ring if you went to a nice restaurant and were asked to pay before you’d eaten the meal. So why would you pay a builder the entire amount upfront?
Any reputable, solvent trader would not need the cash to deliver the job, as they’d have at least 30 days to pay their merchant for materials. Instead, agree stage payments and hold back the final payment until you’re satisfied with the work.
Homeowners who’ve had issues with builders or home improvements are spending an average of € 14,597 on the work, a CCPC report found.
In the most severe cases, paying upfront for an extension or renovation can lead to life-changing financial losses.
In one instance reported in the Irish Independent this year, a couple paid 178,000 to a builder who allegedly failed to show up on site and complete a renovation and extension, leaving the rear of the house exposed to vermin throughout the winter.
They’ve since had to hire another builder to demolish the extension and start again.
Requesting an excessive deposit for labour is another red flag. Â Lally says he’s seen a trend over the last year of some workers like plasterers requiring a deposit of 40pc to 50pc.
“They probably just don’t want to cashflow the job and want you to be the bank as it reduces the risk for them,” he says. “But if you’ve given them 50pc and they go AWOL or don’t deliver what they promised, where does that leave you?”
You can expect to pay a deposit if materials are required, but not a deposit to cover labour. Always get the deposit terms and conditions in writing before making a payment.
Check their bona fides
Before hiring any tradesperson or contractor, make sure they have public liability insurance and are registered with a recognised trade organisation like the NGMC, or with the Construction Industry Federation if they’re a large builder.
Electrical providers must be registered with Safe Electric Ireland while Registered Gas Installers keeps a list of installers who are competent to install gas works and have the requisite insurance and ID.
https://www.independent.ie